On Halloween weekend, my friend and I watched The Shining. Though it is a classic, I was not expecting anything particularly amazing because old horror movies can be quite overrated. Bad acting, bad special effects, and bad scares are quite common in these movies. However, The Shining, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, was quite the exception.

The Shining is about Jack Nicholson, a man who takes a job as the winter caretaker for an elaborate, isolated hotel, and his family. Jack’s son has the ability to see premonitions and as the winter progresses, his visions become increasingly disturbing, and Jack descends into homicidal madness. Read the full plot summary on Wikipedia here.

Some of the highlights of this movie are the directing, the cinematography, and the acting. The movie has an established plot that is quite complex because it is based off of a 447 page book. However, it is very different from the book. Stanley Kubrick took many liberties when directing the movie, but the movie still does a great job telling a story. It is also said that Kubrick never does anything without intention so you can watch hours of interpretations and conspiracy theory videos on YouTube. These range from the movie actually being about the Holocaust to the presence of a sexual abuse subplot.

Kubrick’s cinematography is very strategic and impressive. In scenes where Jack’s son, Danny is riding his tricycle through the hotel, the camera follows him on the floor so the audience can hear difference in the sound of the trike rolling over carpet and the hardwood floor. The camera is also placed at different levels to show who’s perspective we’re seeing things from. For instance, the camera is closer to the ground if we are experiencing something in Danny’s point of view. Mirrors are also used ingeniously to reveal things throughout the movie.

Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Jack Torrance is another highlight of this movie. Though it is different from the book, Jack shows his character’s emotions perfectly and his descent into madness is both incredibly convincing and utterly disturbing. An interpretation could be written about each one of his facial expressions.

Finally, I want to talk a little bit about Doctor Sleep. Doctor Sleep is a 2019 film based on Stephen King’s 2013 sequel to The Shining. It focuses more on the concept of shining (a fusion of telepathy and clairvoyance) and follows the adult Danny as he battles alcoholism and a band of shiners who are killing and feeding off of others with these abilities.

The Shining and Doctor Sleep are definitely worth a watch!